Jerry Sandusky found guilty of Penn State sexual abuse

Penn State assistant coach will spend the rest of his life in prison after being convicted of 45 counts of serial paedophilia

Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, leaves court in handcuffs after being convicted in his child sex abuse trial at the Centre County Courthouse Photograph: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Jerry Sandusky, the Penn State assistant coach whose persistent acts of sexual predation on children were allowed to fester within one of the most hallowed franchises in American college football, will spend the rest of his life in prison after he was found guilty of 45 counts of serial paedophilia.

The jury of seven women and five men in the trial of the once-lauded coach returned after more than 20 hours of deliberations. It found Sandusky guilty of 45 out of 48 counts, and he was taken away from the court in handcuffs.

There were dramatic scenes outside the courtroom where a large crowd of hundreds of spectators had assembled. They cheered when the verdict was announced, and someone shouted "Rot in hell' as Sandusky was put into a police car and driven away.

A mother of one of his victims said: "Nobody wins, we've all lost."

Despite the emotions running high, Sandusky's main defence lawyer Joe Amendola stood in front of the courthouse and declared that the Sandusky family was "very disappointed by the verdict of the jury but we respect their verdict."

He added: "We were trying to climb Mount Everest from the bottom of the mount. Obviously, we didn't make it. It was the expected outcome because of the overwhelming evidence against Jerry Sandusky."

A conflicting view was given by lawyers for two of the anonymous victims who gave evidence during the trial. Justine Andronici and Andrew Shubin, said: "Today a jury did what so many other people and institutions failed to do - they held Jerry Sandusky accountable for sexually abusing children.

"This jury broke years of silence about Sandusky's systematic targeting, grooming and abuse of children and finally delivered justice. The verdict is a direct result of the victims' inspiring courage. The victims' provided heart-wrenching accounts of abuse, manipulation and betrayal by one of the most powerful and protected members of this community."

Sandusky's conviction brings to an end a dismal chapter in the history of famed college football team. His prosecution for preying on underaged boys over a 15 year period prompted the dismissal of Joe Paterno, the much loved chief coach who died in January.

Paterno's sacking for having failed to report Sandusky's predatory acts to outside police led to riots on the Penn State campus and plunged the university into a crisis from which it is still reeling. The president of the university, Graham Spanier, also lost his job and criminal proceedings are on-going against two university administrators alleged to have turned a blind eye to Sandusky's crimes.

Over seven days of testimony, the jury heard how Sandusky, 68, systematically lured a succession of boys into his sexual trap over 15 years. The charges against him related to 10 victims, eight of whom took the stand at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, and gave evidence anonymously.

The eight accusers now range in age from 18 to 28. They include a sergeant in the US army who has seen active duty in Iraq; a graduate from Bible college; and a man who has been imprisoned for robbery.

The remaining two victims have never been found.

The chief prosecutor in Pennsylvania, Linda Kelly, thanked all those who testified, calling them "brave men." She said the trial was forced on them and that "most of us can not comprehend what they have endured."

She hoped the verdict "helps these victims heal ... and helps other victims of abuse to come forward."

The oldest victim related in his testimony how he had first come into contact with Sandusky through the Second Mile, the charity for troubled children that Sandusky ran after he retired from coaching in 1999.

The witness recalled how Sandusky had showered him with gifts of sporting equipment and tickets to Penn State home games, and then had begun to take showers with him before forcing him to perform oral sex. "I spent so many years burying this in the back of my head. I feel responsible for what happened to the other victims," the man said.

The prosecution also called Mike McQueary, an assistant coach at Penn State who testified that he had stumbled upon Sandusky having sex with an underaged boy in the showers at the football team's locker room. He had heard the sound of "skin-on-skin slapping" and seen Sandusky with his arms wrapped around the unidentified boy's waist.

Sandusky's defence team, led by Amendola, sought to poke holes in the prosecution case by suggesting that the victims had financial motives for seeing the defendant brought down. Sandusky himself did not give evidence, though his wife Dottie did, telling the jury that she had never been aware of any inappropriate behaviour on the part of her husband.

The couple adopted six children over the years. While the jury had been considering its verdict, it was revealed that one of their adopted sons, Matt Sandusky, had himself offered to give evidence against his father, saying that he had been sexually abused too.

After the verdict, Amendola said that he had decided not to put Sandusky in the stand because of the risk that it would have allowed the prosecution to bring forward Matt as a rebuttal witness. Amendola said his client would face a probable life sentence, adding that the defence planned to appeal.

The Penn State university authorities put out a statement after the jury returned. It said: "The legal process has spoken and we have tremendous respect for the men who came forward to tell their stories publicly. No verdict can undo the pain and suffering caused by Mr Sandusky, but we do hope this judgment helps the victims and their families along their path to healing.

"The Board of Trustees and current administration maintain a steadfast commitment to pursuing the truth regarding Mr Sandusky's actions. While we cannot change what happened, we can and do accept the responsibility to take action on the societal issue of child sexual abuse - both in our community and beyond."

Joe Paterno's family also put out a statement saying: "Although we understand the task of healing is just beginning, today's verdict is an important milestone. The community owes a measure of gratitude to the jurors for their diligent service. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the victims and their families."

Sandusky will learn his fate at a sentencing hearing that will take place within the next 90 days, but having been found guilty of several counts that carry life sentences he is almost certain never to be free again.